Voice communications currently represent only a tiny part of the massive amounts of data carried over the cable networks.

FORBES: Cable Finds Its Voice

To deliver packetized data over links not built for such services, cable used cable modems, and the telcos used DSL. Similar products, different technologies.

FORBES: Big Broadband's Secret Plan to Deliver Wildly Popular Content and Apps to Happy Consumers

Apple builds in a utility that appears during setup and will migrate data files, settings and apps from an older Mac, either over a cable or a wireless network.

WSJ: Using the Cloud to Store and Transfer Files

But Renesys' data is a strong indicator that the cable is beginning to show signs of life - be it over five years since its original inception.

BBC: 'Curious' Cuban net cable has activated, researchers say

Silicon photonics is a new approach to using light (photons) to move huge amounts of data at very high speeds with extremely low power over a thin optical fiber rather than using electrical signals over a copper cable.

ENGADGET: Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from Intel, more